So Many Ads (groan...)
Ads vs YouTube™ Premium Subscription
Watching a YouTube™ video is free, but there certainly is a lot of advertising.
YouTube™ announced as of June 1, 2021 that they had a right to monetize any video uploaded to their site, even if the person who uploaded it did not want ads.
When I first started walking daily to a virtual walking video, I just let the ads come up, like on television. The video didn’t start playing right away in my Firefox browser because I had disabled auto-play, however. I had to click to restart the video. So I started clicking the ads off manually as soon as the “Skip Ads” banner showed. Then I started getting frustrated by that. I was watching a slow walk video and feeling immersed in the virtual walk, but here came another ad to remind me of our commercialized economy. I didn’t really appreciate them.
YouTube™ offers a Premium subscription service which allows the viewer to watch videos without ads. I gave in and subscribed to try the first free month, thinking I would discontinue it after the trial. But the continuity of the virtual walk without any interruptions was so much more satisfying, like watching a movie in the theater, that after the first month, I decided I would (reluctantly) pay the Premium monthly fee. The rate is currently $11.99 a month plus tax.
I am not suggesting that a subscription is the right approach for everyone. But if you walk daily, it may be worth it.
Good Analysis
Here is a good article with some background on Premium.
YouTube Premium: Is it worth it? Here's what you need to know
Should you upgrade to a paid subscription to the video streaming platform?
By Ryan Haines, January 11, 2022
“... it is hard to understate how great the ad-free experience is until you’ve tried it.”